Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has given the clearest signal yet that Microsoft's next-generation hardware won't be a single box. Speaking to BBC News during Gamescom 2026, Sharma described the platform's next step as "a great family of devices for Helix," a notable shift from how the project was first framed.
Project Helix started as a codename Microsoft attached to its "next generation console" back at GDC in March, wording that read as a single device. As The Verge points out, the "family" language now suggests something broader. At that March reveal, Microsoft confirmed the next console would run both "Xbox and PC games" and would reach developers' hands starting next year, its first explicit acknowledgment that the machine is a hybrid PC device.
What 'family of devices' might mean
Sharma didn't spell out what the lineup looks like, but the phrasing invites obvious comparisons. VGC notes it could mirror the current split between the cheaper Series S and the more powerful Series X. Kotaku raises further possibilities: a follow-up to the budget Series S approach, or a portable device more tightly woven into Xbox's architecture than the Asus-made Xbox Ally handhelds. Rumors have also pointed to Sony working on a handheld version of the PlayStation 6.
Affordability was a recurring theme. "We will of course continue to push the boundaries of performance," Sharma said, before adding that "the industry needs to start to innovate on affordability and efficiency. That is something that we have not had to do." She tied that to "the crisis that's currently happening in hardware and components." The comments land alongside Microsoft's recent decision to raise Series S and X prices by up to $150 and to introduce Buy Now, Pay Later options through Microsoft Stores. In June, Sharma had already said it would be "hard to imagine that mass audiences can afford thousands of dollars to spend on a console generation."
One thing she wouldn't confirm: whether Helix hardware will include a disc drive. Per The Verge, she was asked directly and didn't answer, though Microsoft this week announced a program for digitizing physical game collections.
The Elder Scrolls 6 question hangs
The BBC also pressed Sharma on exclusivity, using The Elder Scrolls 6 as the test case. She smiled at the question but gave no commitment. "Every platform needs some form of exclusive experiences and content," she said, pointing to Gears and Clockwork as titles Xbox has committed to keeping in-house, "all in the context of the business being healthy." Asked specifically whether Elder Scrolls 6 exclusivity was a priority, she offered only: "It's a beautiful game."
That non-answer matters because Xbox has steadily moved big franchises like Minecraft, Forza Horizon, and Fallout onto rival platforms. Kotaku frames The Elder Scrolls 6 as the real litmus test of whether Xbox still treats its console as the center of things. Sharma's predecessor Phil Spencer previously argued the game could be viable as an exclusive. Meanwhile, insiders cited by Kotaku claim Forza Horizon 6, once slated for a timed exclusivity window before a PS5 release this year, is now delayed and unlikely to arrive on PlayStation until 2027.
What it means for players
If you're tracking Xbox's next generation, the takeaways are modest but real: expect more than one Helix model, expect a hybrid that plays PC games, and expect price to be central to the pitch. Sharma promised more details soon, so hard specs, a launch window, and the disc-drive question remain open. The Elder Scrolls 6 stays the game to watch, since its platform fate will tell you more about Xbox's exclusivity plans than any statement so far. Keep an eye on Forza Horizon 6 too, whose PS5 status is now up in the air.
